Politics · 7 February 2026
Minister Simons hired PR firm to probe journalists over £700,000 donations
The Lud via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons commissioned lobbying firm APCO Worldwide in 2023 to investigate how reporters uncovered Labour Together's funding. The group failed to declare over £700,000 in donations, resulting in a £14,250 fine in September 2021. While leaked contracts show the firm aimed to identify journalists' sources for a Sunday Times article, Simons claims he only probed a "suspected illegal hack." The inquiry allegedly utilized journalist-turned-lobbyist Tom Harper.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs